The other morning, my dog was barking in her sleep. She was moving around and even making chewing motions. She was obviously dreaming. She was visualizing.

Have you ever had a dream so vivid that you woke up and thought that it actually happened?

Did it actually happen?

No, only in your mind.

Your brain cannot distinguish between what you visualize and what you actually do physically.

This means that mental practice is just as good as physical practice.

When I spoke to gold medal skier, Lindsey Vonn, she mentioned that she visualizes before she goes down the slope.

You don’t have to be a skier (or a dog) to visualize.

You can visualize before a presentation at work or school. You can visualize before a test.

When you visualize…

1. Make it as realistic as possible (sounds, smells, temperature, surroundings, etc).
2. Imagine how you want to perform (instead of how you DON’T want to perform).
3. Do it in a relaxed state (just before bed is ideal).